“So what should I bring?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“BYOB. And yes I’m sure. We have plenty of food.”
You guys, I went to my first BBQ/pool party of the year and I didn’t bring anything to eat. No dips (crack or otherwise), no sides, no desserts. Nothing. Except my beverage of choice.

Apparently I have awesome friends who want me to be able to show up and just relax. I know. I know. Its rough being me. Sometimes I forget that the majority of my friends are actually good cooks. And maybe sometimes they want to show off their skills.
*I would NEVER show off in the kitchen.*
I should have known that the girl who introduced me to the Breakfast Sandwich burger would have a BBQ covered.
But if she thought I was showing up with beer, she was sorely mistaken. You won’t let me bring food? Fine. I’ll bring the best sangria you’ve ever tasted then force you to drink it with me.
Ok, maybe I didn't force them to drink it. I encouraged everyone to try it, then watched them down their beers so they could switch drinks.
I think its safe to say that sangria is the perfect summer beverage. Especially when you’re floating in a pool. Its a drink and a snack. And it tastes best in the summer when all those practically overripe berries are begging to be used. As much as I love a traditional red sangria, I knew that I wanted to do something a little different for this party. I started off with my approximation of the sangria this restaurant serves at brunch. They start with elderflower syrup, cucumber, blueberries, raspberries, mint and grapefruit juice then they add a bottle of champagne. Let me tell you, it is heaven.

But the true genius (modest as always) was my decision to add a thinly sliced jalapeno.
Oh em gee. Jalapeno takes sangria from normal to out of this world. No one will confuse this sangria with the sangria from a family friendly restaurant.
If a sassy, gay Latin man was turned into a drink, he would be this sangria. Its fruity, sassy, and slightly shocking.
So I guess its a good thing I didn’t get to bring food. If I had I never would have made my new favorite sangria.
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